Santander’s $12.2B Webster Financial Deal Faces Uncertainty Amid U.S.–Spain Trade Tensions 
Senators Urge Better Coordination After Texas Counter-Drone Incidents Disrupt Airspace 
Michael Whatley Wins North Carolina GOP Senate Primary, Setting Up High-Stakes Battle With Roy Cooper 
Big Tech Signs White House Pledge to Fund Power for AI Data Centers 
Trump Defends Extended U.S.-Israel Military Campaign Against Iran 
U.S. Middle East Strikes Raise Indo-Pacific Security Concerns for Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan 
US Lawmakers Raise Security Concerns Over Intel Testing ACM Research Chipmaking Tools 
U.S. Officials Review Tencent’s Stakes in Epic Games, Riot Games Over Security Concerns 
Spain Denies Deal With U.S. Military After Trump Threatens Trade Cutoff 
Suspected Iranian Drone Hits CIA Station at U.S. Embassy in Riyadh Amid Rising Middle East Tensions 
U.S. Military Strikes on Iran Complicate Xi-Trump Summit and Expose China’s Energy Risks 
Trump Signals Support for John Cornyn in Texas GOP Senate Primary as Party Seeks to Avoid Runoff 
U.S. Preparing Possible Corruption Charges Against Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez 
Trump Offers U.S. Insurance and Naval Escort for Tankers as Strait of Hormuz Crisis Disrupts Global Oil Trade 
U.S. Begins Charter Evacuations as Iran Conflict Disrupts Middle East Air Travel 
U.S. Pledges Support to Turkey After Iranian Missile Threat 
Israel-Hezbollah Escalation Deepens Lebanon’s Role in Middle East Conflict 
In light of recent tensions in the peninsula, the leaders of South Korea and Japan are keen to improve relations. South Korean foreign minister Park Jin is set to travel to Japan next week, according to local media in Japan.
Japanese broadcaster NHK reported Thursday that South Korea’s foreign minister Park Jin would be coming to Japan on July 18. Park will be meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for talks during his visit.
Park’s visit also comes at a time when both South Korea and Japan are looking to improve relations, especially with tensions surrounding the Korean peninsula due to multiple weapons tests by North Korea this year so far.
Relations between South Korea and Japan have been under strain for years, stemming from the legacy of Japan’s occupation of Korea from 1940 to 1945.
South Korea and Japan have also been at odds with each other over other issues such as wartime forced labor and export controls.
Previously, the South Korean presidential office condemned the repatriation of two North Korean fishermen back in 2019, describing the revelation as a “crime against humanity” under the administration of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s predecessor Moon Jae-in.
“If they were forcibly repatriated to the North even when they expressed their will to defect, it’s a crime against humanity that violated both international law and the constitution,” said presidential office spokesperson Kang In-sun, who pledged that Yoon’s administration would uncover the truth behind the decision.
Seoul’s Unification Ministry, which handles relations with North Korea, released photos of the two fishermen, who were suspected of killing 16 of their shipmates, being forcibly dragged across the border.
The Moon administration at the time said the two men were “dangerous criminals who would threaten South Koreans’ safety” when they allegedly killed their colleagues on the ship.
This comes as prosecutors have moved to reopen the case. Opposition lawmaker Yoon Kun-young, who was Moon’s situation room chief, defended the forced repatriation of the two fishermen.
“President Yoon, are you saying we should have let the grotesque murderers get away with their crime and protect them with our own people’s tax money?” said Yoon in a Facebook post.
